T: "Like it's been soaked in the wood of a charred, burnt-down house," says my dad. "Filtered through a cowboy's boot." Immediate sweet, juicy, berry fruit up front, but not obnoxious, hurt-your-teeth sugar-sweet like Dark Lord. Juicy and jammy. Roasty, toasty finish. It's tart, rather than the usual bourbon cake flavor of most BCS. At a certain point, it kind of tastes like straight grape juice. I should have paired it with a savory sausage, or "tubular meat" as my dad says. Hardly any bourbon heat at all.

O: Better than the Backyard Rye from 2013, but I find that both of these fruity variants are not my favorite. The 2015 Regal Rye fairs better with the candied cherries - maybe because they aren't as juicy? The juiciness could've been toned down some for me. Still very good and evocative, as I always have a lot of thoughts/memories when drinking BCS variants.

Pours like an oil slick, black as can be, with no head, lacing, or visual carbonation.

Smells like fresh raspberry puree and juice, even after 3 years, amazingly, with the typical big bourbon, chocolate and marshmallows of the many variants of the series.

This one doesn't quite taste as thick as some of the other Bourbon County variants, but it's still like drinking bourbon fudge- this time, covered heavily in raspberry jam. The raspberry and blackberry flavor is still incredibly strong, and verges on cloying territory- the aftertaste of this one is entirely raspberry juice, with a twinge of cough syrup. The aftertaste is what keeps this from being a perfect variant. There is clearly an inordinate amount of berries added to this beer. Chocolate covered raspberries all the way.

The mouthfeel on this one is great- thick, syrupy, and fudgey, with a lower amount of carbonation, and a huge body.

Not the best variant, in the same way that George is not one of the best Beatles. Still amazing, no matter what.

Initially the nose is a bit off putting but the taste is very different. Chocolate and raspberry are prominent. Creamy feel and the alcohol is hidden well. Would have to say I prefer backyard slightly, but both are world class.

The nose, boose heavy, dried fruit, bit of sweetness, and a little stout.

Tastes... Balanced with barrel characteristics. Light fruity notes delightful smell and taste. Fruits have fallen off a bit. Past its prime for the fruits. Very boose forward and over powering. Still very drinkable.

A. About like any other BCBS variant I've enjoyed: pitch black, cream colored head, spotty lacing. This specific variant seems to have less head than the others. Still looks good.

S. Smells much like regular BCBS, with hints of sweetness and zest that are likely related to the rye whiskey barrels. I get dark fruit, vanilla, caramel, whiskey. As it warms, the raspberries become more apparent. But not much different from the regular version. Which is to say it smells incredible.

T. Loads of brownie batter, vanilla, and rapsberry and dark fruit. The finish is a little puckering and rather boozy. The rye barrels bring a lot of spice and heat to this. Im digging this.

M. Full bodied, decadent and cloying. Barrel treatment is a little too heavy on the finish. Overall, though, a well balanced beer.

O. This was much better than expected after reading initial reviews. Essentially, this is regular BCBS with just fruity sweetness and acidity on the finish. The different barrels also lend a little more octane to this. Probably needs some age to settle down, but I think this is quite good.

Thanks to Preismj for this huge want that I can now cross off the list. I love raspberry stouts that are done properly, and based on past experiences, I trust that Goose Island knows what they're doing. Pours mostly black with some slight ruby tones crowding the edges. The tan head forms slowly during the pour and fades pretty quickly to a ring around the top. A quick swirl of the glass easily conjures up quite a bit of foam, however.

Wow, after one whiff, I'm already in love with this beer. Such a dense berry aroma, complete with raspberries, blackberries, and maybe even a little bit of blueberry and black cherry. Perhaps those last two fruits are just springing from my imagination, but the "fruity" essence of this beer already seems more layered and complex than just raspberry and blackberry. Lots of roasted malts lay softly behind the portrait of berries with a solid stroke of bourbon and oak that slashes through it all. The barrel qualities are much lighter in this beer as compared to many of the other BCS variants, but it works as a perfect addition to the fruit - complementing without drowning out.

Bramble Rye has a magnificent berry flavor right out of the gate - mounds of raspberry jam and raspberry puree engulf your palate immediately upon taking your first sip. It provides a mild tartness without ever becoming sour or seeming "out of place" despite it being in a bourbon barrel aged stout. The bourbon and oak flavors are definitely there - signature BCS style, although the tartness from the raspberry up front really cuts through and mellows out the already mellow barrel-aging contributions. They took something great and made it even better... How is that possible to this degree?

The initial tartness from the berry onslaught eventually ceases and turns into a savory sweetness that lasts well into the aftertaste. Halfway through, as the raspberries settle down, the barrel aging flavors become more pronounced; bourbon that is as smooth as ever, wet oak, and a reasonable dose of vanilla. Somewhere in the middle, I'm also picking up a light cola flavor that works ties the sweetness of the fruit and the robustness of the alcohol together really well. The body is smooth, creamy, and chewy; full-bodied with a slick mouth feel. It leaves the palate very sticky - even a bit more than other, heavy BCS-type beers. Lower end of the carbonation spectrum.

When all was said and done, the raspberry and blackberry dominate the flavor profile more so than the bourbon and oak flavors, but shockingly enough, that's what I love about this beer. It seems like a perfect addition of berry sweetness into a stout, with the bourbon and oak sitting just behind it, beefing it up just a bit without stealing the show. This is definitely a nice change of pace from the other BCS variants, as I believe it's the most drastically different one. But again, that very fact might partially explain my affinity to it. That, and the fact that I'm a raspberry whore. Is it wrong to say that I like this more than Rare? Because I do. And if you love raspberries like I do - you might, too.

Beer tasting on 10/14/12
Pours motor oil, no head
The original bourbon county with sutle notes of raspberry and blackberry.
Wow. Bourbon county with raspberry and other berry notes amazing
Mouthful is all berries soooo good.
Def worth it sooo good.

The beer pours a black color with a brown head, exactly like all of the other members of the Bourbon County Stout family. The aroma is awesome. I get a ton of berry notes, as well as some chocolate, roasted malt and whiskey notes. All of that goes very well together. The flavor is identical, with a ton of blackberry and raspberry notes up front, which add a very unique flavor to the beer. There is also a nice rye whiskey character, as well as some chocolate, vanilla and medium to heavy roasted malt. Thick mouthfeel and medium carbonation. An excellent beer, which in my opinion, is better than all of the other variants with the exception of the coffee, which is one of my favorite beers of all time. Amazing.

Appearance: Almost pure black with nice tan head at first but quickly settles back to a thin lace.

Smell: Chocolate, molasses, berries, whiskey and rye. A little more subtle than expected.

Taste: Wow, sweet berries galore! What was just a hint in the aroma is an onslaught on the taste buds. The raspberries and blackberries are really front and center, with some backbone of chocolate, molasses and anise. The rye whiskey barrel aging is present, but minimally so; much less apparent than the bourbon barrel aging of the other variants.

Feel: Thick, chewy, but oh-so-smooth body with low carbonation. Not nearly as boozy and warming as the other Bourbon Counties. The only downside is that the berries really coat the mouth a little too much.

Overall: While not as good as the Original or the almighty Coffee, I do enjoy this quite a bit - more so than Vanilla, which just seemed too boozy.

Seriously, why didn't I buy Rare when I had the chance? Stupid, cheap ass.